How Does Acupuncture Work?

Historically, acupuncture points were believed to be holes
that allow entry into channels. These holes provide us gateways to influence, redirect,
increase, or decrease body's vital substance, qi, thus correcting many of the imbalances.
Many studies and research were directed since to understand the mechanism of acupuncture.

Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate the immune system.
It also has affects the circulation, blood pressure, rhythm and stroke volume of the
heart, secretion of the gastric acid, and production of red and white cells. It also
stimulates the release of a variety of hormones that help body to respond to injury and
stress.

According to this theory, pain signals must pass through a
number of high-traffic "gates" as they move from the area of injury upward
through the spinal cord into the brain. Like a road or highway, these nerves can handle
only a limited number of nerve signals at one time. The pain signals travels very slowly.
We can generate other signals which move faster. The faster signals crowd out the slower
ones because of the limited capacity of the nerves. (Remember the time sitting in traffic
near a construction zone, where the two lanes merge into one. The fast cars on the merging
lanes go further and merge ahead of the slower ones, making it nearly impossible for the
slow traffic on the lane to move forward. Now think about the pain signals are the slow
ones sitting there waiting for an opening to move through. If one can produce enough fast
signals, it can effectively crowd out the pain signals.) Acupuncture generates competing
stimulus and effectively blocks the slow pain signals from reaching the brain. The result:
we never "experience the pain".

The body continually generates tiny but detectable
electrical discharges. This electrical field influences the growth, maturation, and
functioning of some types of cells. It is known that acupuncture points are concentrated
in regions of low electrical resistance. Studies have shown that there is a correlation
between the electromagnetic fields in the body and the channels or meridians. So, this
electrical theory of acupuncture suggests that acupuncture works by influencing the body's
electromagnetic fields. Acupuncture points have certain electrical properties, and
stimulating these points alters chemical neurotransmitters in the body.